SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:22
sea Pablo, sea Apolos, sea Cefas, sea el mundo, sea la vida, sea la muerte, sea lo presente, sea lo por venir; que todo es vuestro,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 3:22
Verse 22. Whether Paul, or Apollos] As if he had said: God designs to help you by all things and persons; every teacher sent from him will become a blessing to you, if you abide faithful to your calling. God will press every thing into the service of his followers. The ministers of the Church of Christ are appointed for the hearers, not the hearers for the ministers. In like manner, all the ordinances of grace and mercy are appointed for them, not they for the ordinances. Or the world] The word kosmov, here, means rather the inhabitants of the world than what we commonly understand by the world itself; and this is its meaning in John iii. 16, 17; vi. 33; John xiv. 31; xvii. 21. See particularly John xii. 19: Æo kosmosopisw autou aphlqen, the WORLD is gone after him-the great mass of the people believe on him. The Greek word has the same meaning, in a variety of places, both in the sacred and the profane writers, as le monde, the world, literally has in French, where it signifies, not only the system of created things, but, by metonomy, the people- every body, the mass, the populace. In the same sense it is often found in English. The apostle's meaning evidently is: Not only Paul, Apollos, and Kephas, are yours-appointed for and employed in your service; but every person besides with whom you may have any intercourse or connection, whether Jew or Greek, whether enemy or friend. God will cause every person, as well as every thing to work for your good, while you love, cleave to, and obey Him.
Or life] With all its trials and advantages, every hour of It, every tribulation in it, the whole course of it, as the grand state of your probation, is a general blessing to you: and you have life, and that life preserved in order to prepare for an eternity of blessedness.
Or death] That solemn hour, so dreadful to the wicked; and so hateful to those who live without God: that is yours. Death is your servant; he comes a special messenger from God for you; he comes to undo a knot that now connects body and soul, which it would be unlawful for yourselves to untie; he comes to take your souls to glory; and he cannot come before his due time to those who are waiting for the salvation of God. A saint wishes to live only to glorify God; and he who wishes to live longer than he can get and do good, is not worthy of life.
Or things present] Every occurrence in providence in the present life; for God rules in providence as well as in grace.
Or things to come] The whole order and economy of the eternal world; all in heaven and all in earth are even now working together for your good.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas , etc.] These are particularly named, because their disputes were chiefly about them; but what is said of them is true of all other, and all the ministers of Christ, that they are the church’s. The gifts which Christ received for them, and has bestowed on them, are not their own, but the church’s, and are given to them, not so much for their own use, as for the good and benefit of others. They are made able ministers of the New Testament, not by themselves, nor by man, but by God; who disposes of them as blessings to his churches, and gives them to be pastors and teachers of them, to feed them with knowledge, and with understanding; they are qualified by the Spirit of God for the service of the saints, and are separated by him to it, and are constituted overseers of the flock by his direction; they are placed as stewards of the mysteries and manifold grace of God, to dispense them with wisdom and faithfulness to all in his family, and are the servants of the churches for Jesus’ sake, and therefore not to be gloried in; though to be respected in their place and station: or the world : this, with what follows, is an amplification of the account, and is as if the apostle should say, you should be so far from glorying in man, in a few poor weak instruments, and especially in that in them, which with God is foolishness and vanity, that not only all the ministers of the word are yours, but even the whole world is yours; though called out of it, esteemed the filth of it, and have so little a share of it. The world was made for the sake of the saints, and is continued on their account; when they are called by grace, it will soon be at an end. It is their Lord’s, and so theirs, both as Creator and Mediator: the good things of the world are enjoyed by the saints in a peculiar way, as covenant mercies and blessings, so as they are not by others, The evil things of it, as the sins and lusts of it, are escaped by them; and the afflictions they meet with in it are made to work for their good; and as they are heirs of the world, as Abraham was, so they shall inherit it in a much better form than it now is: the present heavens will pass away, the earth and all therein will be burnt up, and new heavens and a new earth arise, in which will dwell none but righteous persons: the world, in its present state, is an inn, suited to the condition of the saints, as pilgrims and strangers; but then it will be as a palace, fit for the spouse and bride of Christ. Or life ; in every view of it: the life of Christ, which he lived here on earth, in obedience to his Father’s will, and which he now lives in heaven, where he ever lives to make intercession for his people, and for their good; that fulness of life that is in him, and that eternal life which is through him, are all theirs. The lives of the ministers of the Gospel are for their profit and advantage; and they are spared and continued on their account; their own lives are theirs, though not to live to themselves, nor to the lusts of men, but by faith on Christ, and to the glory of God, and which is what they desire. Or death : the death of Christ was for them, in their room and stead, for their sins, to make satisfaction to divine justice for them; and the benefits of it are enjoyed by them. The death of good men, ministers, martyrs, and confessors, is theirs, serves to confirm their faith, animate their zeal, and encourage them to hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering.
Their own death is a blessing to them; the sting is taken away by Christ; the curse is removed; it is no penal evil to them; it is a deliverance of them from all the sorrows and troubles of this life, and is their passage into endless glory and happiness. Or things present ; whether prosperous or adverse; and these, whether they be their own or others, all work together for their good. Or things to come ; future troubles and exercises; or future good things, either in this world, or in the world to come; the invisible glories of a future state: all are yours ; which is repeated for confirmation sake, and to observe, that if there was anything that was omitted, or could not be thought to be included in any of the above expressions, that also was theirs.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 18-23 - To have a high opinion of our own wisdom, is but to flatter ourselves and self-flattery is the next step to self-deceit. The wisdom tha wordly men esteem, is foolishness with God. How justly does he despise and how easily can he baffle and confound it! The thoughts of the wisest men in the world, have vanity, weakness, and folly in them. All this should teach us to be humble, and make us willing to be taught of God, so as not to be led away, by pretences to human wisdom and skill from the simple truths revealed by Christ. Mankind are very apt to oppose the design of the mercies of God. Observe the spiritual riche of a true believer; "All are yours," even ministers and ordinances Nay, the world itself is yours. Saints have as much of it as Infinit Wisdom sees fit for them, and they have it with the Divine blessing Life is yours, that you may have a season and opportunity to prepar for the life of heaven; and death is yours, that you may go to the possession of it. It is the kind messenger to take you from sin an sorrow, and to guide you to your Father's house. Things present ar yours, for your support on the road; things to come are yours, to delight you for ever at your journey's end. If we belong to Christ, an are true to him, all good belongs to us, and is sure to us. Believer are the subjects of his kingdom. He is Lord over us, we must own his dominion, and cheerfully submit to his command. God in Christ reconciling a sinful world to himself, and pouring the riches of his grace on a reconciled world, is the sum and substance of the gospel __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ειτε 1535 CONJ παυλος 3972 N-NSM ειτε 1535 CONJ απολλως 625 N-NSM ειτε 1535 CONJ κηφας 2786 N-NSM ειτε 1535 CONJ κοσμος 2889 N-NSM ειτε 1535 CONJ ζωη 2222 N-NSF ειτε 1535 CONJ θανατος 2288 N-NSM ειτε 1535 CONJ ενεστωτα 1764 5761 V-RAP-NPN ειτε 1535 CONJ μελλοντα 3195 5723 V-PAP-NPN παντα 3956 A-NPN υμων 5216 P-2GP εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
22. Things present (enestwta). See on Rom. viii. 38.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:22 {Yours} (humwn). Predicate genitive, belong to you. All the words in this verse and #23 are anarthrous, though not indefinite, but definite. The English reproduces them all properly without the definite article except kosmos (the world), and even here just world will answer. Proper names do not need the article to be definite nor do words for single objects like world, life, death. Things present (enestwta, second perfect participle of enistemi) and things to come divide two classes. Few of the finer points of Greek syntax need more attention than the absence of the article. We must not think of the article as "omitted" (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 790). The wealth of the Christian includes all things, all leaders, past, present, future, Christ, and God. There is no room for partisan wrangling here.
